Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Sextortion: A Definition and Real Life Example

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This week I am dedicating my posts to the topic of cybersafety.  This is the second post in the series.  
Sextortion is defined as kids being blackmailed into something sexual they don’t want to do. 
This term was completely new to me walking into last week’s Wired Safety Summit and if this is the first time you’re hearing of it, you’re not alone.  A quick Google search yields only 7 results and not even a Wikipedia entry yet but it’s definitely a term to keep on your radar.

Imagine your 13 year old getting into your liquor cabinet, drinking, and logging on to Stickam, a live streaming social network, being convinced by a stranger to pose in a sexual way, and then being repeatedly harassed to the point where she finally gives in and involves two friends.

Imagine the police knocking on your door and asking your child about the online behavior two years later.  Imagine your child thinking the police are going to help prosecute the guys who were sextorting her and then finding out that the other two girls are testifying against her in a case that involves child porn production where your daughter is being charged as a sex offender.

Imagine being the parent who finds out about this by the police who have questioned your daughter who were alerted by authorities in the hometown you left two years ago for completely unrelated reasons.
This is the reality of one family who spoke at the Wired Safety Summit about how their daughter was sextorted. The girl, now 15, knows she was young and she made a huge mistake but acknowledges the lasting implications of the charges being brought against her. 
If charged a sex offender, this girl will not be able to go to college.  She will not be able to live near a school.  She will appear on websites listing sexual offenders for the rest of her life.
Kids are kids.  They make mistakes.  While we often say that we learn from mistakes, this girl is learning while dealing with lawyers who are building a case against some very serious charges for online behavior that occurred years ago.
This is the second part of a 5 part series about online safety inspired by the Wired Safety Summit.  Previously published and upcoming posts include:
  • Monday: Wired Safety Summit Focuses on Teen & Tween Cybersafety
  • Wednesday: CyberSafety Tips and Digital Abuse Resources
  • Thursday: Kids Online Behavior & Safety: Recent Stats and More Resources, a guest post from AVG Technologies, Inc.
  • Friday: Life 360 CEO Chris Hulls Shares Online Safety Tips for Families
I am a WiredMom and was invited to attend the Wired Safety Summit for the second year in a row.  As a volunteer, I use social media to share Wired Safety’s mission due to the importance of their message and efforts. I am not compensated, nor am I required, to share my experiences at Wired Safety Summit but all my opinions are my own.  Images courtesy of WiredSafety.org.

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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenn says

    Having a 12 year old daughter that wants to blog and Vlog, this is a topic I need to refresh myself in.

  3. Sam says

    Excellent post, thank you for bringing this topic to our attention. We look forward to your new Wired Safety Summit blogs. Keep up the good work!

  4. April says

    While I can appreciate the lessons learned from this experience, we also need to do more to change these laws. Did they talk about that at all at the summit?